Bizarre Details About The 'Son' Cited In Charles Manson's Alleged Will

In October 1969, Charles Manson and several members of his so-called "Family" were arrested on suspicion of vandalism in Death Valley National Park. Shortly after the arrests were made, authorities learned Manson and several of his accomplices were responsible for numerous other crimes in the region, including robbery and murder.

As reported by Biography, Susan Atkins, who was part of Manson's Family, confessed to direct involvement in most of the crimes, including the highly-publicized murder of pregnant actress Sharon Tate. She also implicated other members of the Family and named Manson as the mastermind behind the attacks. Although Manson did not physically commit the murders, he was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder for convincing his followers to commit the crimes on his behalf. 

Manson was initially sentenced to death. However, the sentence was commuted to life in prison when California's Supreme Court abolished the state's death penalty. Charles Manson spent nearly 50 days in prison prior to his death on November 19, 2017. He had at least three children — and possibly a fourth.

The bizarre details surrounding Charles Manson's behavior, his beliefs, the unwavering devotion of his "family," and the crimes they committed drew international attention to him and his followers. The unusual nature of the entire situation led people to question every aspect of Manson's life, from his childhood to the members of his actual family.

As reported by Men's Health, Manson was married twice and fathered three children. In 1955, he married Rosalie Jean Willis. Their son, Charles Manson Jr., was born in 1956. Manson and Willis eventually divorced, and he married Leona Rae "Candy" Steven in 1959. Their son, Charles Luther Manson, was born shortly after, but Manson and Stevens divorced four years after they were married. Manson's third son, Valentine Michael Manson, was born to him and his girlfriend, Mary Brunner, in 1968.

Men's Health reports all three of Manson's sons were raised by other families and eventually changed their names. However, their lives were always overshadowed by their biological father's sordid past.

As reported by Men's Health, Charles Manson's oldest son, Charles Jr., died by suicide in 1993. His second oldest son's whereabouts are currently unknown. However, it has been suggested that Charles Luther has either managed to avoid the media for decades or died. Manson's youngest son, Valentine, changed his name to Michael Brunner and has participated in several interviews through the years. Although at least one of his known biological sons was alive at the time of his death, The Sun reports Manson intended to leave his entire estate to a man named Matthew Roberts — who Manson believed was his fourth son.

According to News.au.com, Roberts learned he was adopted when he was in elementary school. However, he did not have any interest in finding his biological parents until he was 25. Robert said when he got engaged, he and his fiancee, who wanted to have children together, became curious about his family history. Although it took four years, Roberts eventually found his birth mother — who claimed Charles Manson was his biological father.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

When Matthew Roberts contacted the agency that facilitated the adoption, News.com.au reports he was told his biological mother had mental health issues. Roberts, who communicated with the woman via written correspondence, said he did not initially notice anything unusual. However, he said that "it became pretty clear at a certain point that she did have some mental health issues that progressively got worse as time went on, it seemed, or at least that she was unable to hide."

Roberts' biological mother said she met Manson through Mary Brunner and eventually joined them on a cross-country trip. Although she said she and Manson formed a close relationship, she felt the other women in Manson's Family were jealous, and she became uncomfortable in the increasingly competitive environment. Manson eventually bought the woman a bus ticket so she could return home. According to Roberts, his biological mother was pregnant with Manson's child when she got on that bus. As reported by News.com.au, Roberts said Manson confirmed his biological mother's story and even suggested he "knew she was pregnant, and that may have been another reason for sending her" back home.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

According to News.com.au, Matthew Roberts said his biological mother eventually told him he was conceived during a party she attended with Manson and several other members of his Family. She initially said Manson raped her. However, Roberts said she later said she may have "confused male aggression for male vigor, or male vigor for male aggression."

Roberts, who has dark hair that he wears in the same style Manson did, said he could see a striking resemblance between himself and Manson. In an interview with News.com.au, he said, "When I looked in the mirror, I looked like his twin." In addition to the hair, Roberts has dark brown eyes and a beard, which is similar to the beard Manson had in the late 1960s and 1970s. At some point, Roberts' biological mother refused to discuss Manson any further — which prompted him to contact Manson himself.

In his interview with News.com.au, Roberts said he and Manson wrote letters back and forth for the better part of 15 years. However, Manson denied Roberts' request to meet him in person, as he believed Roberts might be in danger. According to Roberts, Manson told him their correspondence was being intercepted, and his fellow inmates were threatening to hurt or even kill Roberts if they were ever released.

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Although they corresponded for 15 years, Matthew Roberts said his relationship with Charles Manson was not particularly close. As reported by The Sun, Roberts said Manson would sometimes offer him "very heartfelt and kind of fatherly advice." However, at times, Manson would scold Roberts for making statements about the cult leader's life and the decisions he made — claims Manson felt were judgmental.

Roberts, his biological mother, and Manson all seem to have believed Manson was Roberts' biological son. However, it has never been conclusively proven. Via Medium, H. Allegra Lansing reports Roberts consented to a DNA test, which was compared with DNA from Jason Freeman — Charles Manson Jr.'s son and Charles Manson's grandson. The test did not reveal any familial connection. It has been noted that Freeman's relation to Charles Manson has also been questioned, and his DNA was never compared with his supposed grandfather's.

CNN reports Roberts' DNA was compared with samples of Charles Manson's DNA, but the results were inconclusive. Charles Manson's close friend, Ben Gurecki, claims he has possession of Manson's last will and testament and that Roberts was named as Manson's primary heir. However, as reported by The Sun, it's unclear whether the will is legally binding, and the content was contested in court. Northwest Florida Daily News reports the court ultimately determined Jason Freeman was Manson's closest surviving relative. Freeman was granted possession of Manson's remains and is currently fighting for control of his estate.